Mammoth, Mines, 'n' More

Do you have a "bucket list?" You know, the list of things you want to do before you "kick the bucket." I do and although it’s in constant flux, there are a few things that haven’t changed over the years.

I’ve wanted to see the ghost town of Bodie, California, ever since I read about it in a guidebook called Where Can We Go This Weekend? Meanwhile my wife, Collette, has long wanted to see Devil’s Postpile, a spectacular volcanic formation near Mammoth Lakes, California. We recently had the chance to check off both items in a single trip when Jaime Hernandez, a friend I’ve made through the off-road industry, invited us along on a trip in that very neck of the woods. Jaime’s wife, Beth, grew up in Mammoth Lakes and still has family there.

Many, many times during this trip we were able to see and do things we might have missed had we undertaken this trip on our own. The local knowledge and hospitality offered by Jaime and Beth was top-notch and very much appreciated.

The plan was to meet in Lone Pine around noon and caravan from there. Collette and I are night owls, so we decided it best to do part of the distance the night before rather than feebly attempting to get up at the crack of dawn. We overnighted at the Carriage Inn in Ridgecrest.

Now that Bodie and Devil’s Postpile are checked off, are we ready to kick the bucket? Hardly. The trick is simply to add things to the list. Follow along as we experience Mammoth, mines, and more.

On the way out of town, I spied a VP gas station and felt compelled to pull in. I’d never seen a VP gas station, but VP Racing is famous for its racing gasoline. Sure enough, this station offered 100-octane race gas right at the pump! Performance has its price, which was $6.75 a gallon in this case. We topped off with mid-grade and got back on the road.

Jaime’s local knowledge helped even as we drove home. There are a couple of Native American-owned gas stations along Highway 395, including this one just outside of Bishop. Prices here were much lower than what we’d seen anywhere else. This wasn’t a “been there, done that” adventure. There’s too much left to see in these parts. We’ll be back.